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Tag: Inec

  • We’ll deploy enhanced smart card readers for Ekiti poll – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said on Wednesday the Commission would deploy enhanced Smart Card Readers (SCRs) for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

    Yakubu, who also dismissed claims that card readers have been pre-loaded and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) cloned ahead of the election, said electoral process in the country has gone beyond the capacity of INEC officials.

    At least 35 political parties will take part in the election.

    Yakubu, who spoke at the opening of INEC Quarterly Consultative Meeting with political parties, said: “In Ekiti State, where we are deploying the enhanced Smart Card Readers (SCRs), this process has not even commenced. It is impossible to pre-load the card readers, let alone do so with cloned PVCs. In any case, electoral officials at polling units on election day will cross -check the voter’s name on the voters’ register which includes the voter’s photograph.

    “The voter must be personally present in order to vote. It cannot be done by proxy or prior to election day. Is the voters’ register already given to each of the 35 political parties fielding candidates in the Ekiti governorship election, also cloned? Is the bearer of the cloned card also going to have a cloned face to match the original photograph on the register printed from our database? We appeal to Nigerians to discountenance this unimaginative theory which is similar to the allegation of ‘scientific rigging’ before a previous stand-alone governorship election in which the Commission was accused of deploying a special ballot paper that altered the voter’s choice within minutes after it has been dropped into the ballot box in favour of another political party.”

    The INEC chief, who described the claim that the PVCs are cloned and smart card readers pre-loaded, as simply ludicrous, said the card readers are configured to specific polling units not more than 72 hours to the election and can only be operated by 8:00 a.m. on election day.

     

     

  • We’ll not disappoint Nigerians on Ekiti guber poll – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commissioner, (INEC) on Monday said the hopes and expectations of Nigerians on the Ekiti gubernatorial election which comes up in two week time will not be dashed.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that  the commission’s top officials, on a visit to the state, gave the assurance in Ado Ekiti, saying there would be no room for failure in the poll.

    The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states, Mr. Solomon Soyebi and his counterpart in charge of Election Operations and Logistics, Mrs. Amina Zakari gave the declaration at a Pre-Election Preparation workshop organised for Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers and Head of Departments .

    Soyebi said the workshop was to tidy up things as every polling unit must be opened by 7am.

    “There will be no room for excuses. Any Local Government where this happen, the Electoral Officet, (EO) will be responsible

    “You must share responsibilities with your assistants to avoid one-man show. You must also watch your utterances so as to safeguard the integrity of the exercise,” he said.

    Also speaking, Zakari debunked an allegation by Gov Ayo Fayose that she had been hired by the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to rig the election in favour of APC.

    She challenged the governor and the Peoples Democratic Party to back their allegations with evidence, saying it was not possible for an individual to rig an election.

    “They should prove that beyond reasonable doubt. I doubt it if an individual can rig an election when there are over 20,000 personnel to conduct the election.

    “They should back their allegation with fact and figures. We (INEC) have nothing to hide. I see no reason why INEC would want to go back to bad old days. We are moving  forward  as we remained focused  to ensure a credible election that Nigeria will be proud of..”

    Zakari said the workshop would review work done so far and to expose officials to new ideas, processes and approach to a successful conduct of the  election.

    “The workshop is to ensure proper preparations for the election. This is the  practice over the years. It is to ensure there is no gap between policies and implementation

    “It is to aid direct interaction with departments that initiate policies and to collect ideas that will help in reshaping policies and procedure

    “I have no doubt that this will be well-organised and it will be adjudged as the most successful election ever conducted,” she said.

    Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, said the workshop was to ensure information flow between policy formulators and the implementors towards a successful conduct of the election.(NAN)

  • INEC will not count prayer points, says Alex Ekubo

    Nollywood actor Alex Ekubo has said  it is time to own up to the fact that living in Nigeria has become like living an unending episode of a series of unfortunate events.

    “Well I’m tired, I’m done pretending, so dear World, here are a few truths about about Nigeria your giant of Africa,” he wrote.

    “I once likened Nigeria to the proverbial ‘Small dog, with a big name’ after filming in Cameroon for eight days without experiencing power outage. They called me unpatriotic, they asked for my head on a plate, they called me a sellout but the truth is since I was born, I have never experienced steady power supply in my country. It is important to note I turned 32 in April.”

    The actor said an arm of the police called FSARS, harasses, bullies and extorts innocent and harmless citizens.

    “Herdsmen go into a community killing everyone including harmless women and children and the government of the day won’t declare a state of emergency or move a muscle.

    “We just lost innocent lives as a result of a tanker explosion on Otedola bridge, they still won’t do anything to change traffic/motoring safety…

    “Pls nobody should tell me to #PrayForNigeria. INEC would not count your prayer points. I’ve been praying all my life and nothing has changed. I want to give Heaven a break. This is a call to action, we need to get our PVC & end this before it ends us.”

     

  • INEC awaits Senate’s notification to fill vacant seats

    •To make underage voters probe report public •Voters register on website

    The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) is awaiting communication on the existing vacancies in the National Assembly to enable the agency to conduct by-elections, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this in Lagos at the weekend.

    He said INEC is compelled by law to conduct by-election within 90 days after a vacancy is declared. Only Presiding officers of the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly can declare any seat vacant, he added.

    “We have no any power to declare the seat of any lawmaker vacant.

    “We cannot declare vacancy and conduct by-election unless there is a formal communication from the presiding officers of that Assembly.

    “So this is not a matter under the control of the commission.’’

    Two senate seats are vacant by virtue of death – Katsina North and Bauchi South.

    Seanor Ali Wakili (Bauchi South) and Mustapha Bukar (Katsina North) died in March and May.

    Also last month, Senator Joshua Dariye was jailed for corruption.

    However, the semate leadership is yet to formally notify INEC of the development.

    Yakubu also said the agency had posted the voters register on its website for people to confirm their status.

    He also said the report of its panel that investigated the allegation of underage voting during the Kano State local government election, would be made public.

    Yakubu said the commission had slightly redesigned its voter register to take care of incidents where the smart card readers could not read the fingerprints of the owner.

    “I want to assure you that we will continue to do whatever we can to improve the voter register as we approach 2019 general elections.’’

    Prof. Yakubu added that one of the innovations INEC had brought into the registration process was that registered voters could now check the status of their registration online.

    “INEC committee conducted investigation, submitted its report and we addressed the press on the matter that there was no connection between INEC voter register and the incidents of underage voting in Kano.

    “In fact in many voting units they did not even use voter register to accredit anyone.

    “Having said so, there is a demand that we should release the report of our investigation. I assure you we will soon release the full report of that investigation.’’

    On the challenge of insecurity and registration of voters, Yakubu said despite the security situation the commission had high number of register voters in some states with security challenge including Benue and Borno.

    He said that was possible as it was easier to register people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps than to register people who go individually to various registration units.

    “Most interesting for me is that Benue has also recorded one of the highest numbers of registrants in the on-going CVR.

    “What I find most reassuring in Benue is that in spite of the security challenge people are still interesting in voting.’’

    Prof. Yakubu said a new design of voter register with a provision for a column to take care of cases where the smart card reads could not read finger prints of the owner would be deployed for the election.

    This according the Yakubu would speed up the voting process, compared to old system where people have to queue to fill a form, thereby delaying the process.

    The chairman pledged that he would do whatever it takes to improve on the electoral process of the country to protect his name and reputation.

    “If there is anything I am going to leave INEC with is my reputation as academic. I am going back to my academic profession where I came from.

    “So, whatever it takes to earn a good name for this country, for myself and my family I will do so.

    “The only thing we have is our values and we work very hard to ensure that we leave with our values intact.’’

  • Ekiti 2018: INEC distributes non-sensitive materials

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed non-sensitive electoral materials across the sixteen local government areas ahead of the July 14 governorship election. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, disclosed this to reporters at a security meeting with party candidates held at the State Police Command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.

    The meeting was attended by all heads of security agencies in the state including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS). He explained that the sensitive materials will be distributed to the council areas twenty four hours before the election is held.

    The electoral chief explained that INEC would be fair and transparent to all political parties adding that the votes of the electorate will count at the poll. Raji said: “We are satisfied with the meeting and we have cordial relations with the political parties. They have all agreed to remain calm before, during and after the election and we are counting on their words. We on our part, we promised to remain with our core values, to be transparent and be fair to all.

    Candidates standing for the election have pledged to maintain peace before, during and after the July 14 poll “in the interest of the state.” All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the security agencies assured them of adequate security of lives and property of the citizens. Fayemi, while lamenting recent killings in the state, noted that the candidates have all agreed with the security agencies on ways to ensure peaceful poll in the state.

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, stressed that the interactive session has availed candidates to agree on how to prevent violence in the course of the campaigns and on election day. The Deputy Governor urged the people of the state to summon the courage on the day of election to exercise their civic rights, adding that federal might would not work in the state.

    Also the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed assured that all security agencies are ready for the poll, noting that flashpoints in the state had been analyzed. Ahmed said: “The essence of the discussion is to analyse the current political situations in the state. We all know current situation of the state ahead of the July 14 poll. At the moment, all the candidates have been told our own side and we want to assure them that the remaining period of the campaigns and voting day, all must be well.”

  • Ekiti 2018: INEC distributes non-sensitive materials

    Fayemi, Olusola, others pledge a peaceful poll

     

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed non-sensitive electoral materials across the sixteen local government areas ahead of the July 14 governorship election.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, disclosed this to reporters at a security meeting with party candidates held at the state police command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.

    The meeting was attended by all heads of security agencies in the state including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS).

    He explained that the sensitive materials will be distributed to the council areas twenty four hours before the election is held.

    The electoral chief explained that INEC would be fair and transparent to all political parties adding that the votes of the electorate will count at the poll.

    Read Also: We’ve registered 9.7 million new voters, says INEC chairman

    Raji said: “We are satisfied with the meeting and we have cordial relations with the political parties. They have all agreed to remain calm before, during and after the election and we are counting on their words. We on our part, we promised to remain with our core values, to be transparent and be fair to all.

    “We are fully prepared for the election. All non-sensitive materials have all been distributed to the local government areas and the sensitive materials will only come a day before election.

    “I have been around the local government areas in the state and we have asked for the cooperation to ensure peace reign during the election. We have equally given them our words to ensure that people’s vote count. With the structures will have put in place, the votes must count.”

    Candidates standing for the election have pledged to maintain peace before, during and after the July 14 poll “in the interest of the state”

    All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the security agencies assured of them adequate security of lives and property of the citizens.

    Represented by Director of Mobilization of his campaign, Mr. Femi Bamisile, Fayemi, while lamenting recent killings in the state, noted that the candidates have all agreed with the security agencies on ways to ensure peaceful poll in the state.

    He said: “We had an interactive session with the security agencies, we all basically agreed to what the security apparatus had told us and I want to tell you this is not the first election we will be having in Ekiti state.

    “It is a process that needs to be done. All political parties told them (security agencies) what our problem is and what we have been able to envisaged on, killings that has been happening within the state.

    “We discussed and we assured them that we are going to have hitch-free in the state without intimidation from anybody. What bothers the mind is that why are the killings happening in this period of election.”

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, stressed that the interactive session has availed candidates to agree on how to prevent violence in the course of the campaigns and on election day.

    The Deputy Governor urged the people of the state to summon the courage on the day of election to exercise their civic rights, adding that federal would not work in the state.

    Olusola said: “We just concluded an interactive session with the security agencies and all of us the candidates have agreed on certain issues as it relate with how to prevent violence and other things.

    They have assured us and we believe with what transpired today, all stakeholders are prepared for free, fair and transparent poll come July 14.

    “The people should be bold enough to go out and perform their civic right. Nobody will harass anybody because the security agencies have assured us of non-partisanship. No federal might will work here, electorates should go out cast their votes and leave the rest.”

    Also the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed assured that all security agencies are ready for the poll, noting that flashpoints in the state had been analyzed.

    Ahmed said: “The essence of the discussion is to analyze the current political situations in the state. We all know current situation of the state ahead of the July 14 poll.

    “At the moments, all the candidates have been told our own side and we want to assure them that the remaining period of the campaigns and voting day, all must be well.

    “We briefed them on our security arrangement and urge the need to play by the rules and everybody must be allowed to exercise their franchise. So far, so good, we are ready to conduct this election even if it is tomorrow.”

  • 2019: Many registrants yet to collect their PVCs — INEC chairman

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission is worried about the low rate of collection of the newly-printed PVCs of new registrants across the country.

    Yakubu made the remark while responding to questions at the INEC/ Private Sector Forum, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), on Tuesday in Lagos.

    According to him, it is worrisome that over 7 million PVCs from the 2015 General Elections are yet to be claimed but more worrisome is the rate at which newly-registered voters are coming to claim the newly-printed PVCs.

    He said: “We are doing the best we can to ensure that registrants collect their cards but unfortunately many of these cards are still not collected.’’

    On the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the INEC boss said that 9.7 million Nigerians had so far registered and the number would increase.

    He said that if the figure was added to the existing 69. 7 million registered voters, INEC would have a register of over 80 million in the 2019 General Elections.

    “For transfers, so far, we have 474, 358 requests across all the states of the federation since the commencement of the ongoing CVR on April 27, 2017.

    “For those who applied for transfers, as well as those who registered newly in 2017, we have printed the cards for 2.9 million new registrants.

    “We have delivered them (the PVCs) to the states for collection by those who registered, which include new registrants, those who applied for transfers, as well as those who asked for replacement of cards.

    “For those who registered this year, we are doing the backing and thereafter, we shall print the cards. We will make sure that the cards are available for collection before the general elections.

    “The assurance I am giving on behalf of the commission is that all citizens who have registered in 2017 and those registering in the ongoing CVR in 2018, will get their cards before the 2019 general elections,’’ Yakubu assured.

    According to him, INEC will conduct elections in 119, 973 polling units and 8,809 wards nationwide, saying that it was ordinarily impossible to create additional polling units before the 2019 elections.

    He said that immediately after the 2019 elections, the commission would address issues of creating more polling units, to cater for new settlements.

    The chairman added that INEC would create additional voting points tied to existing polling units, to ease voting.

    Yakubu, who noted that 68 political parties had been registered, said that the figure could rise as the commission was processing more applications of 138 associations seeking registration as political parties.

    On the monitoring of political parties’ campaign finances during elections, Yakubu said that it was difficult to monitor candidates and party expenditures.

    He said that political parties were supposed to report to INEC their expenditures during campaigns six months after the elections, apart from annual auditing of party accounts.

    “But so many have spent perhaps, outside of the provision of the law but not directly linked to the candidates’ expenditures.

    “We have been working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which has built the capacity to track, particularly the big expenditures.

    “We will continue to do all we can to track campaign finances and individual expenditures for the election but it is certainly not an easy thing to do,’’ he said.

    The INEC chairman said that the development marred the 2015 elections where the deployment of money was used to specifically induce some of the commission’s officials before the elections.

    Yakubu said that over 200 staff of the commission had been indicted on the issue, saying that it was the largest number of staff so far indicted in the history of INEC.

  • PDP calls for credible election in Ekiti

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the forthcoming Ekiti Governorship election is free and fair.

    The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus gave the advice when he received Former PDP State Assemblies Presiding Officers at PDP National secretariat on Monday in Abuja.

    Secondus said that any attempt to rig Ekiti election, scheduled for July 14, would be a threat to 2019 general elections.

    He said: “The best that the All Progressives Congress (APC) can give Nigerians is to conduct free and fair election and earn the credit.

    “PDP did it in 2015. We conducted credible presidential election; we lost and handed over power.

    “People should be allowed to test their will. We must allow the will of the people to prevail.

    “If you are popular, test it. Don’t intimidate or harass the people. Tell them the truth.’’

    Secondus expressed optimism that re-branded PDP would regain its lost ground, including the presidency it lost in 2015 general elections.

    He advised security agencies not to subject their loyalty to any political party but Nigerians.

    “ Members of the security agencies should know that the tax payers’ money is so important. You are not being paid by a party. One day, you will give account.”

    He condemned the killing of innocent people in the country and called on the government to redouble efforts in arresting the problem.

    The Chairman of the Former State Assemblies Presiding Officers, Inuwa Garba, urged the party national leaders to ensure that popular and experienced candidates emerge as the party candidates in future elections.

    “Popular and experience candidates that can deliver should be our target’’

    Garba, who canvassed the inclusion of the group members in all activities of PDP, pledged the loyalty of the group to the party to ensure the success its  success in the coming elections.

    Garba commended the Secondus for leading the party well and for the achievements his administration had recorded so far in the face of intimidation.(NAN)

  • INEC urges fair reportage of women

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Prof.Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, on Thursday urged the media to enhance democracy through fair reportage on women in politics.

    She said that adequate reporting of activities of women in politics would encourage participation of more women in the governance of the country.

    Okoosi-Simbine made the call in Lokoja at the Training for Journalists and Media Executives on Gender-Sensitive Coverage organised by Centre for Democracy and Development with support from UN Women.

    She said that the media in any political system played a critical role in the political process, and that it would be right for Nigerian media to assist the course of achieving equality for all.
    The national commissioner said that gains for women in one or two areas in politics notwithstanding, campaign of calumny and gender-based invectives in the political space still discouraged their participation.

    “They believe that there is masculine domination of politics to the extent that men hold politics as a cult and pay lip service to women participation since double standards are maintained gender-wise.

    “There is need for vigorous societal public enlightenment for party programmes that support women uplifting, their empowerment and their general acceptance in the public sphere.

    “The equal participation of women and men in all aspects of public life is a key principle of democracy and women’s participation in politics is a major goal.

    “The place of gender equality in democracy cannot be over emphasised,” she said.

    Okoosi-Simbine said that while a reporter might not be directly discriminating against women, it was always important that the media practitioners wore a gender lens while reporting.

    She said that women constituted 48 per cent of Nigeria’s voting population, but occupied only 5.8 per cent of the political offices in the country, and that this could be attributed to media reporting slants.

    According to her, this was the case in 2015 when only eight female senators and 20 House of Representatives members were elected while only six females were elected as deputy governors.

    Okoosi-Simbine said that the issues called for general societal public enlightenment to underscore that chauvinist and sexist views were politically incorrect.

    Mr James Bigila, a representative of the United Nations Women, Nigeria, said that the media in the country and globally, were an important catalyst towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.

    Bigila said that this was because the media could take gender issues out of the private realm and put them on the political agenda.

    “As you all are aware, women are under-represented in Nigeria’s political space, and Nigeria has the lowest rate of women members of parliament in Africa.

    “Consequently, special measures are required, over a period of time, to close the gap since the playing field for political contest is not level and women are most affected by this,” he said.

  • 563, 051 PVCs collected in Ekiti, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has indicated that a total of 563, 051 Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) have been collected by registered voters in Ekiti State, 27 days to the governorship election.

    Spokesman of the commission in the state, Taiwo Gbadegesin told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado Ekiti on Monday that the state has a total of 913, 334 registered voters and that 353, 262 PVCs were yet to be collected by their owners.

    On preparations for the election, Gbadegesan said that INEC was 94 per cent ready, adding that it had already distributed “virtually” all the non-sensitive election materials to all the 16 local governments.

    He said the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, would visit the state on July 10, to interact with candidates and officials of the 35 political parties, as well as other stakeholders participating in the election.